Thousands Visit Off the Rails Market in Brainerd for Holiday Gifts

Over the weekend, the Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd hosted the Off The Rails Market.

The bi-annual shopping event took place on Friday and Saturday and had 170 vendors. A majority of the vendors were from the Brainerd Lakes Area, but some ventured from the Twin Cities and even North and South Dakota.

Over 4,000 shoppers made the trip to check out the market, which has grown to be one of the top shopping events in central Minnesota.

“People say that it feels like home, even though you’re surrounded by a ton of people, it’s the craziness of the holidays, but they love to do it, it’s a tradition, and they like to support small businesses,” said Tedi Russell, event specialist at the Northern Pacific Center. “A lot of these vendors are online only, so they get to see them in person just for this show, and it means a lot to their customers.”

The next Off The Rails Market will take place during the final weekend of April.